


Chipped Black Nails and Suntory Whisky

by Lilac_Summers_99



Category: Jacksepticeye Power Hour (Web Series), Markiplier Egos, Markiplier TV (Web Series), Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye egos - Fandom
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Dark and Wilford are basically Dads, Darkstache - Freeform, Depression, Fluff, Gay Male Character, I Will Go Down With This Ship, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Not Beta Read, Not Septiplier, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, i call e-boy mark elliot, its a chase centric fic so it be like that, just the egos, the one where chase and stacy try to be civil for the kids, they dont know how but they have like 10+ kids fdjhfd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28299237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilac_Summers_99/pseuds/Lilac_Summers_99
Summary: Nearly two weeks before Valentine's Day, and everyone has something they need to get done. Chase just wants to learn how to paint nails for his girls. Bing just wants to introduce his best friend to the newest ego at the Iplier Manor. Elliot just wants to settle into the Iplier Manor and be himself, chipped black nails and all. Somewhere along the way, Bing accidentally plays matchmaker with his two best friends. The Septics and Ipliers watch in vague bemusement as shenanigans occur.
Relationships: Chase Brody/E-Boy Mark, Darkiplier/Wilford Warfstache, Mark Fischbach/Sean McLoughlin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. The One Where Chase is Exhuasted

One manor had never been able to keep a secret from the other for very long. Fraternization wasn’t prohibited or otherwise discouraged between Sean or Mark’s egos, and new information was exchanged very quickly between them all. When the newest of the Ipliers arrived at the manor, the Septics found out about it pretty quickly. All except for one, who had been gone for the weekend that the new Iplier had arrived...

Chase Brody was far from content with the custody agreement the courts had arranged. While his work had always kept him busy, it had never kept him so busy that the weekends were the only time he could spend with his daughters. He tried to stay positive about it all. He’d heard plenty of custody horror stories where one parent wasn’t able to see their children at all. Still, he couldn’t help but wish he had more time with his girls than the weekends and every other holiday. The upside to having them on the weekends was that he got to plan ridiculously fun outings with them. Not every weekend, of course, but usually once or twice a month he was able to take them somewhere more fun than the manor. 

This past weekend was one of the more fun ones. Chase had managed to book them a little getaway at a nearby hotel. Sam and Cara had been delighted when they discovered that the hotel had an indoor pool. They’d spent most of their time in the water, giggling and splashing while they played a game of “Shark”. Chase had to chase after them as the shark and try to catch them so he could “eat” them. All the swimming left the girls exhausted by the end of the day. It left Chase pretty tired as well. Content, but tired. He took plenty of pictures of the girls to send to his ex-wife, Stacy, and to show to his friends back at the manors. 

The weekend had ended like they all did: Much too soon. Chase gave his girls a final hug goodbye in front of Stacy’s new place and pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads. 

“Papa?” Sam asked, tugging at his shirt lightly. He turned his attention to the older of the girls, a tired grin tugging at his lips as he tilted his head to the side. She showed him her nails. The pink nail polish that Stacy had applied was starting to chip away. “Next time, can you paint my nails?” she asked. Chase groaned internally when she set her baby-blue, puppy dog eyes on him. He nodded without giving much thought to the fact that he’d never painted anybody’s nails in his entire life. 

“Course I will, sweetie! You just gotta remember to bring your nail polish, alright?” Chase said. Sam nodded excitedly. She clambered up to kiss her dad on the cheek before she scampered over to her mom. Cara lingered a moment. She always did. Chase turned his attention to his younger daughter, his eyes and face softening when he saw the tears that had welled up in her eyes. 

“Papa,” she whined, burying her face in the soft material of Chase’s sweater. “... I don’t wanna go,” she mumbled. Chase hugged her gently. His heart swelled painfully in his chest as he held her. 

“I know, pumpkin. Papa doesn’t want you to go, either,” Chase murmured. He smoothed a hand over her hair for a moment. “Hey, look at me,” he said. He pulled away from the hug, his heart aching from the inconsolable look on Cara’s face. “You’ll see me again next weekend, alright? And the weekend after that, it’ll be Valentine’s Day!” he said, offering his little one a grin. Cara sniffled softly, her hazel eyes brightening at the mention of her third favorite holiday. 

“You’ll make us heart pancakes, right?” Cara asked. Chase nodded solemnly. “And let us help?” she pressed, wringing her little hands. He nodded again. “... And let us make a big mess?” she added, trying to hide the little smile she wore.

“Promise, pumpkin. You and Sam will get to make as big of a mess outta the kitchen as you want,” Chase promised. With visions of a messy kitchen and a special breakfast in her head, Cara was finally able to let go of her father. She walked over to her mom. “You girls be good for your mother, now! I’ve still got Santa on speed dial if you act up!” he called, flashing the three a grin. Stacy leaned down and whispered something to the girls. They blew kisses to their dad before they disappeared into Stacy’s house. Stacy lingered outside a moment, her brows pinched together and her face unreadable before she went inside as well. 

With their Sunday drop-off ritual complete, Chase left. His drive home was silent. It always was. The exhaustion that came from trying to keep up with two rambunctious little girls had finally caught up with him. He just didn’t have as much of that bright, bubbly energy he’d been so proud of before the divorce. What little remained was saved for the time he got to spend with his girls. He was tired enough that he didn’t notice how the other egos chattered amongst themselves in the living room. He simply walked past them all, his eyes struggling to stay open as he trudged up the stairs. When Chase got to his room, he all but fell into bed. His eyes fluttered shut. His breathing evened out. He fell asleep in his street clothes, unaware of the exciting buzz that had washed over all the egos. He didn't even think to check the flurry of texts that Bing had sent him that day. All he could think about was the fact that he'd need to learn how to paint nails, and fast...


	2. The One Where Bing has News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chase deals with the usual aftermath of a weekend of custody, discusses the importance of non-glamorized self-care with himself, and finally checks his phone. Bing shows up with unexpected news, annoys the local maybe-doctor, and convinces Chase to come with him to Iplier Manor to meet his newest friend. It's hectic for a Monday, but things are never fully normal between Iplier Manor and Septic Manor, are they?

When Chase woke up, it was with a familiar degree of discomfort from sleeping in blue jeans. He groaned lowly before he sat up in bed. He rubbed at his eyes for a moment, trying to clear away the remnants of sleep, and then hopped out of bed. The next half-hour passed in a blur of hygienic rituals. His therapist had stressed the importance of self-care to him. According to Dr. Picani, self-care was usually more lowkey than the media presented it. It didn't necessarily have to come in the form of decadent treats, luxurious clothes, or expensive gifts. Self-care could be as simple as taking care of his body and mind to the best of his abilities.

Chase couldn't help but smile at himself in the mirror after he spat out his mouth rinse. Dr. Picani had also said that it was okay to feel proud of himself for doing "basic" stuff. Depression made being a person... Weird. It sapped him of his energy, left him feeling uncomfortably numb, and generally made existing difficult for him. So it was okay to feel proud when he took care of himself, even if he was doing something as simple as brushing his teeth or showering daily! With as positive of a mental attitude as he could muster in the morning, he put his favorite baseball cap on before he headed downstairs.   
  
Chase quirked up an eyebrow as he walked down the stairs. A familiar voice had caught his attention as he made his way to the kitchen. He hesitated just outside and barely suppressed a giggle as he listened. Bing was talking excitedly about something. He wasn't entirely sure what had his best friend so worked up, but he knew it had to be something interesting if it had the android over at Septic manor this early in the day. He checked his phone quickly, his eyebrows pinching together when he saw the unread messages his friend had sent him yesterday. Shit, that probably explained why Bing was here! Chase pocketed his phone before he finally strolled into the kitchen.  
  
"Suh, dude!" Chase called. A lazy grin curled at his lips when Bing whirled around. He didn't try to hide his snickering this time, not when Henrik all but ran out a side door to escape the verbal onslaught Bing had put him through. 

"Dude! Bro, I've missed you so much!" Bing exclaimed. Chase rolled his eyes at his friend, his grin turning into a smirk as he fixed himself a glass of orange juice. 

"I was only gone for the weekend, Bing. D'ya really miss me that badly over two days?" Chase teased. He knew the answer to that question already, though, and had to admit that it felt pretty nice to be missed. 

"Duh! Chase, you're the only other person that's radical enough to deal with my unadulterated awesomeness!" Bing said, his hands waving through the air excitedly as he spoke. Chase nodded, then set his half-empty glass down on the counter. "Besides, something huge happened while you were gone!" he added, an almost childishly gleeful grin spreading across his face. Chase quirked up an eyebrow as he rummaged in the pantry for some cereal. Something ridiculously high in sugar for Bing, and something a little healthier for him. Ah, to be an android that ate purely for want and not for need of nutrition! 

"Well? You gonna tell me the big news, or are you just gonna wait until I guess it?" Chase asked. Bing happily accepted the offered box of Reese's Puffs and poured some into a bowl. Chase had some obscure, local brand of cereal that Henrik insisted on buying weekly. It was definitely very Californian, boasting to be vegan, organic, and gluten-free all at once. The cereal itself might as well have been sun-dried cardboard, but at least the dried berries in it were good. He added some milk before he started eating.

"Okay, um, so remember the new room?" Bing asked, giving Chase no time at all to answer while he chewed his food. "Right! You remember. I've been telling you about it for like, two weeks now! Well, Dark finally found the new ego!" he continued, pausing just long enough to shovel dry cereal into his mouth with his hand. Chase hummed back at him, his eyes widening a bit before he took another sip of orange juice. 

"Aye? What's the fella's name?" Chase asked, nudging Bing in the side. There had already been a slew of Iplier egos that had been discovered back in 2019. He had honestly been shocked when Bing had first told him about the new, empty room that had appeared in Iplier Manor overnight. While there were a decent number of Septic egos cavorting about in the world, the Iplier egos had always seemed to multiply like rabbits. Now that he thought about it, Chase couldn't name a year where he hadn't met a new Iplier ego. Bing had been the first one he'd met, back in 2017. That had quickly spiraled into the kind of intense, chaotic friendship that made most of the other egos sigh dramatically when they saw them together. 

Then there'd been Eric and Derek Derekson. Chase didn't know Eric as well as he'd like to know the poor, anxious guy, but he was more than happy to spend time near him. As far as his pitiful excuse for a father went? Well, Chase wanted to know Eric's father as little as possible. They'd shown up right at the tail-end of 2018. Yancy, Captain Magnum, and Illinois Jones in 2019. An ex-con who seemed to share Chase's intense disdain for Derek, a giant of a pirate who got on with everyone well enough, and a rather charming adventurer who came and went as he pleased. 2017, 2018, and 2019 had all led to the Iplier Manor expanding, whatever strange magic in its walls giving way to new rooms before the egos even showed up. 

Septic Manor had similar magic to it, though Marvin was quick to explain how he was able to manipulate the matter of the manor and make it bend to his will. Septic Manor had stayed the same, more or less, since Chase moved in. Jameson had been the only other new ego to show up, and the mute man's presence was nearly lost in the din of a house filled with more bombastic egos. Chase liked him, though, because Jameson had a quiet charm to him. That, and it was just nice to sit near someone who wouldn't fill the air with static, set something on fire, stagger in at 3 am after a night of fighting crime, or wake up the whole house because he'd been left on call at the local hospital. Chase honestly wasn't sure how those at Iplier Manor could handle having such a large concentration of pure eccentricity under one roof. 

He glanced at Bing a moment, his face softening slightly as he watched the android demolish the rest of his cereal. Alright. Maybe he could understand a little of the eccentricity. He nudged at his best friend again, unable to help the laugh that slipped past his lips when he looked up from his food. Chase just raised an eyebrow, the slight inclination of his head reminding the other man that he'd asked him a question. 

"OH! Okay, yeah, sorry dude. Food, y'know?" Bing said, gesturing to the now-empty bowl. As if he was genuinely starving, and not an android who didn't have to eat at all.

"Aye, I get it. Tell me this guy's name now?" Chase asked, hiding his grin against the rim of his glass as he finished off his juice. Bing nodded, then cleared his throat as his cheeks warmed slightly. 

"So! You might actually know him? I mean, it's possible. He does social media stuff like you do, dude! Little videos on TikTok, lots of stuff with posing and cool transitions set to music?" Bing explained. 

"... I don't know a single person who uses Tiktok, but go off, I guess," Chase commented. Bing let out a little, annoyed huff before he took off his sunglasses and pulled up his display screen. Chase watched in mild amusement as his friend's flashing orange eyes darted around, some strange software inside of his eyes acting as a cursor of sorts while he browsed through the web. It didn't take him long to have the guy's TikTok account pulled up. 

"His name is Elliot! Uh, I think the Googles said he was an... E-Boy?" Bing said, giving his shoulders a nonchalant shrug. "My databases show he's sort of like a f**k-boy, just with a little more emotional intelligence, general respect for people, and less of a strict adherence to American gender norms," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he rattled off the notes he'd made earlier. One of Elliot's TikToks started playing. Chase watched quietly, his eyebrows rising higher and higher as the video played out. 

"... Jesus Christ, how the hell did you think I'd know this guy?" Chase finally asked as a slight flush crept across his cheeks. "The fuck was that face he made at the end? Why was he dancin' underneath an orange tree? Why did he bite into the orange without peelin' it?" he rambled, unable to contain his incredulous laughter at the strange skit.

"I dunno! You gotta ask him yourself, bro! I kinda figured you'd know him since you're both, like, online presences?" Bing replied, his screen disappearing as he pushed his sunglasses back up onto his nose. Chase only snorted before he drank the leftover milk in his bowl. 

"Dude, I try hard to avoid most of the other content creators online. Lotta them are plain nasty when the camera turns off," Chase said. "Ugh, trust me, I know," he added, making a face at his empty bowl. Bing frowned, his processors whirring softly as he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. 

"Bro, this isn't one of those self-deprecating comments, is it?" Bing ventured, his voice unusually quiet when he spoke. The sudden mood shift had Chase reeling slightly, and he offered the android a soft grin. Android or not, he was always surprised at just how human Bing seemed to be. 

"Aw, keep askin' questions like that, and I'll start thinkin' you care about me," he teased. Bing let out an indignant noise before he swiped Chase's cap. 

"Shut it! You can't make fun of me for caring about you, dude!" Bing said, a little smirk curling at his lips as he put the cap on backward.

"Ugh, can't believe you look even more like a punk with my cap on," Chase commented. He stood up from his chair and stretched languidly, a happy noise escaping him when his joints popped loudly. "Alright, let's go meet this fuck-boy friend of yours. See if he's got the sheer cool factor to hang out with us," he said. He snatched his cap back easily, then pulled it down snugly onto his head. He washed the few dishes they'd dirtied quickly, then set them out to dry. 

"I think he's a pretty cool dude! I mean, from what I've seen from his TikToks and the talk we had last night, y'know? He's still pretty new," Bing said. Chase nodded, then grabbed his beat-up skateboard from its resting place by the door. He knew the way to Iplier Manor by heart at this point, but he always liked to let Bing lead the way. He was able to tap into crosswalk signs so they could go faster. He probably wasn't supposed to do that, but Chase was pretty good at keeping secrets. They rode on in relative silence. It only took them twenty minutes to get to Iplier Manor, and Chase grinned when they came to a stop at the small garden out front.  
  
"Yo! Eric, seen Elliot anywhere?" Chase called, offering the younger man a quick wave. He glanced up from the daisies he'd been tending to, a hesitant grin spreading across his face at the sight of the green-haired man. 

"Y-Yeah. Um, Elliot's inside, p-probably talking to D-Dark," Eric explained. Bing nodded, then clapped the small man lightly on the shoulders. Eric let out a surprised noise at the friendly contact.

"Thanks, dude! You got those puppy dog eyes of yours everywhere, don't you?" Bing joked. Eric just giggled quietly in response, his eyes never quite settling in any one place as he worried with his yellow handkerchief. Chase rolled his eyes at the pair, his grin becoming sly as he grabbed Bing by the hand. 

"Chit-chat with Eric later, bro. You're on my time," Chase teased. He tugged Bing along the walkway. "Nice seein' you, Eric! You gotta give me a tour of your new plants one of these days!" he added, glancing back over his shoulder to wave goodbye to the shy man. Eric waved back, his face lighting up like the Fourth of July at the prospect of spending time with Chase. Bing just pouted while the Irishman hauled him into the house. 

"Ugh, you never let me have any fun when you're around," Bing grumbled, sighing loudly and exaggeratedly as they walked through the front door. 

"Yeah, cause interrupting your flirtin' with the Manor's little gardener is the worst thing I could ever do," Chase drawled, his eyes flitting around the living room for a moment. His dry comment worked its magic. Bing was left a stuttering, lagging mess as he tried to explain just how little he'd been flirting with Eric. Chase ignored it. He was looking for Dark. He cocked his head to the side slightly, his eyes narrowing when he heard a distant ringing noise. Bingo. 

"-would totally never flirt with him! He's like, way too soft! Dude, humans are already soft, and Eric is even softer! What if I, like, broke him?" Bing ranted, only a little peeved when Chase walked off into the house. He followed after him, finally registering the tell-tale ringing of Dark's presence since he'd shut up for more than five seconds. The pair walked through the otherwise silent manor slowly, unease and tension filling the air around them as the ringing noise got louder. Something... Wasn't good. 

"... Did you see Dark before you left this mornin', dude?" Chase asked, his voice low and cautious. Bing nodded slightly. 

"Yeah. He didn't seem too, y'know," Bing said, waving his hand vaguely in the air. "Pissy?" he finished, shrugging his shoulders as they crept up the spiral staircase. Chase almost felt like he was in some cheesy horror flick. Like Dark would appear in front of them suddenly, taking a page from Anti's book and wielding a knife. While he knew that Dark could hurt anyone if he truly wished to, he didn't think he'd turn his power and rage on the members of the Iplier and Septic Manors. Not without good reason, at least, and he couldn't think of any reason Dark would have to hurt them. Despite knowing all this logically, Chase still felt the cold tendrils of fear clutch tightly at his heart. 

"Well, somethin' has clearly changed since then," Chase muttered. Bing made a small noise of agreement. They finally reached Dark's study. They exchanged a quick glance and both winced. The ringing had gotten much louder, higher too, and Chase suddenly wished he had control over his ability to interpret noise as Bing did. A volume control button would've been really fucking nice right about now! 

". . . Enter," Dark growled. They startled a little before Chase opened the door, a little of the tension melting away when they saw that Dark was alone. He still looked quite put together. His suit was neatly pressed, his tie was pulled snugly against the collar of his shirt, and he looked pretty corporeal. The strange red and blue effects around the edges of his frame were there, but they only glitched a little. Well, at least he probably hadn't killed anyone. 

"Hey, uh... We just wanted to see if you knew where Elliot was?" Bing asked. His fingers danced over the soft material of his shirt a little, a repetitive motion that Chase picked up on right away. Leave it to Bing to be the only android in the world to develop nervous habits like that. 

"Elliot is to **not** be disturbed further. He is adjusting," Dark said, speaking curtly to the two. He stood up from his desk, his eyes narrowing slightly as he walked over to them. "... **Leave** ," he demanded, eyes fixated on Bing. Bing just nodded and left, leaving Chase alone with one pissed-off supernatural entity. He wanted to be mad at Bing for betraying him like that, but he really couldn't blame him for wanting to escape the situation. He had to focus with every fiber of his being to not squirm under Dark's heavy gaze. "Sit. We have things to discuss," Dark said. Chase moved quickly, all too happy to be away from the older man's prying eyes for a moment while he sat down. He tried to ignore the pang of unease in his gut when he heard the study door shut and lock.

**"You and I are going to have a little discussion, Chase Brody."**


	3. The One Where Dark Needs a Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark has concerns about Elliot. Chase doesn't know why he's being told about them. Wilford and Anti have fucked with something, probably, but what else is new?

A cold sort of dread settled over Chase like the world's most uncomfortable blanket. Dark wasn't the sort to go and chat casually with others, especially not those from Septic Manor, so it left him on edge as he listened to the man walk back to his desk. Dark sat down in front of him. He steepled his hands, the sharp ringing slowly fading away as he stared at the Irishman across from him. Part of him wanted to break the silence. Treat this conversation like a bandaid and rip it off. The other part of him was perfectly content with crawling inside of a hole and never coming out from it. 

"... You have children, yes?" Dark finally asked. The question caught Chase off guard. He nodded slowly as his lips pursed into a slight frown. He wasn't exactly close with the man, but he had figured that all the egos knew about his kids by now. Was the question some strange ice breaker? A mere formality on Dark's behalf? Who was to say what fueled his actions when it came to the demonic man? "Then I believe you will be of use to me," he said, looking oddly pleased with himself. 

"I'm... Not certain I understand?" Chase said, quirking up an eyebrow. Unless Dark had hidden away a couple of bastard children, he didn't think that his fathering skills could be of much use to him. His eyes widened slightly at the mere thought of mini Darks running around. It would've been pretty funny if it weren't a horrifying concept. The Iplier Manor didn't need any more void entities creating holes in reality. That was what Wilford was for. "This isn't your way of tellin' me you've kidnapped a kid, right?" he asked. Dark scoffed indignantly at the question. 

"As if I'd ever whisk away a stranger's child! Iplier Manor is filled with enough childish individuals as is," Dark muttered, running a hand through his hair. Chase couldn't help but snort at the comment. He couldn't argue about that, not when he was best friends with one of those childish individuals. 

"Aye, I won't comment on that," Chase said. His gaze was curious now as he looked at Dark. "Then what's with the vague comments about my usefulness to you?" he pressed. Dark's brows pinched together before he sighed. There was a tinge of discomfort to his face now, one that left his grey skin particularly cool-toned. 

"I have reasons to suspect that Elliot... Will have some trouble adjusting," Dark began. He spoke slowly, choosing every word with the utmost care as he glanced around the room. "I'm afraid that my hands are tied up at this time. I won't be able to assist him as I have with the others," he explained. 

"Like you did with Eric?" Chase asked. The older man nodded stiffly. His protectiveness over the younger ego was an open secret at this point. Chase didn't blame him. Most of the Ipliers had a soft spot for him; Wilford had once even offered to have Derek's head stuffed and mounted above the manor's fireplace. Chase hadn't approved of the idea, but he had liked the old hunter's gumption. 

"Like with Eric, yes," Dark conceded. "I feel that, much like Eric, Elliot is to be an anomaly amongst the Ipliers. You have always been one of the more... Shall I say, _measured_ members of the Septic family," he said. Though his voice was flat and somewhat indifferent, Chase got the feeling that the ego was paying him a compliment. Maybe one at the expense of the rest of his little family, but a compliment nonetheless. He'd take it. 

"So, what? You want me to keep an eye on Elliot, make sure he ain't isolated or somethin' like that?" Chase wondered. 

"Something like that, yes. At least for these first few weeks. Bing says the two of you run in similar social circles, and you appear to have a bit of a knack for befriending the others," Dark said. "Let it not go unsaid that you would be doing me a great service in assisting Elliot with his transition from his old life to his new one. A metamorphosis, if you will," he added. The corner of his mouth sloped up slightly, the closest thing to a smile that Dark was willing to offer Chase. 

"Aye, I get what you're sayin'. I'm here with Bing half the time anyway, I don't think it'll be too difficult to invite him along for some fun," Chase commented. Dark nodded before he stood up. Chase mirrored his actions, a hesitant grin of his own tugging at his lips when they shook hands. 

"Good. I ask that you keep this favor in mind, should you ever require anything from me," Dark said. Ah, a bit of good old fashioned bribery. A single brow arched slightly as he squeezed Chase's hand before he let it go. "If you would see yourself out, I would appreciate that. I have a spot of business with Wilford and Anti next. It would be in your best interests to make yourself scarce before they arrive," he said. Chase nodded, paling slightly at the mention of the chaotic duo. He saw himself out quickly after that. He really didn't feel like getting involved in whatever stunt they'd pulled to be brought to a private meeting with Dark. 

Chase walked down the hall towards Bing's room. He thought over everything Dark had told him. While he didn't know the specifics of Dark's powers, he did know that the man had a rather uncanny sense regarding events in the far-off future. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd spoken about one of these suspicions and been proven right as time went on. In the end, Chase guessed it didn't matter how Dark knew what he did. It just mattered that he knew and that he had been able to give someone a heads-up. Though he still wasn't entirely sure as to why the man had told him of all people. 

While Chase certainly was the most approachable of the Septic family, he felt that one of the Ipliers would've been a more suitable choice. Why not ask Eric to do it? If they were both anomalies, as Dark had put it, why not set Eric to the task? Hell, even Yancy could've helped! Chase was sure that the ex-prisoner knew a thing or two about being the odd one out in a group. He'd always seemed to have a bit of a soft side to him anyway, so it wasn't like Yancy would eat the guy! Chase just... He didn't understand why Dark trusted him to do this. Why he was so confident that he would be of any use at all. It just left his stomach tied up in intricate knots by the time he got to Bing's door. He at least was able to fix a smile into place before he opened the door.

"Dude, you better _never_ leave me alone with Dark-" Chase began, his voice faltering and breaking off when his brain finally caught up with his eyes. Bing was sprawled across his bed-talking a mile a minute-which wasn't unusual in the slightest, but... The quietly bemused guy with the teashades was. He glanced up at the sudden intruder, warm, honeyed eyes meeting cool, oceanic eyes. Oh. Oh no. Elliot was much more attractive in person than he had been through a screen.

_Chase was screwed._


	4. The One Where Chase Meets Elliot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark's theory about Elliot being an anomaly amongst the Ipliers is proven correct. Chase is pleasantly surprised to be reminded of the fact that he isn't the only human ego. Bing is just happy to be involved.

"Bro! Elliot, this is the guy I was telling you about!" Bing exclaimed, gesturing vaguely at Chase. Elliot offered him a shy grin, and Chase swore that his heart actually skipped a beat at the sight of it.

"Chase, right? I uh, I think I've seen some of your videos. Y'know, the Bro Average stuff," Elliot said. Chase nodded, unable to help the little laugh that escaped him. The guy's voice was pretty quiet and seemed to lack the normal gruffness that most Ipliers had. Right. Dark had said he was another anomaly, right? He supposed that would apply to Elliot's voice.

"Aye? Bing's shown me one of your videos as well. It was pretty fuckin' cool, dude!" he said. Elliot's eyes widened slightly, surprise flitting across his face quickly before he was able to school it back into one of casual indifference. Chase caught the way his fingers skittered over the dark bedsheets, though, and he realized that the black nail polish Elliot wore was chipped. As soon as he saw that, Elliot had stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Huh. Maybe he'd have to ask him where he'd gotten them done? He did still need to figure out how to paint nails before the next weekend rolled around. 

"Yeah? Which one did he show you? It better have made me look good," Elliot joked. His eyes seemed to light up when he made the joke, and it only highlighted the warmth in his eyes. There it was, that brand of smug charisma that was decidedly Iplier. Chase didn't know if it left him more annoyed or enamored with the young man. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, a slight grin working onto his face before he sat down on the bed next to Bing.

"I dunno, the jury's still out on that. It was definitely an interesting video," Chase said, nudging Bing lightly in the side. "I liked the setting, at least, the orange tree was pretty," he added. Elliot's face darkened as realization washed over him. 

"... You couldn't have shown him a more normal video?" Elliot asked, his voice coming out a half-octave higher than it had before. It had Chase laughing again, which then sent the embarrassed man into a fit of giggles. Bing glanced between the pair, his processors whirring as he tried to see just what had them laughing so hard. He eventually gave it all a mental shrug and laughed with them. It only seemed to make things worse for Chase and Elliot, who shared a brief, calm look before they relapsed back into a hysterical giggle fit. Then Bing was laughing in earnest, and the bedroom was filled with the noise of their shared joy. 

"So-so you're tellin' me that I shouldn't expect more videos of you bitin' into unpeeled oranges?" Chase finally managed to ask. Elliot snorted before he took off his teashades dramatically. 

"That's a mistake you only make once. The views on that video just weren't worth how bitter that orange peel tasted," Elliot said, quirking up an eyebrow at Chase. "Bing could play you some of my better stuff, right?" he asked. Bing nodded, still fighting back an occasional bubble of laughter. 

"Give me a second, I can have em pulled up!" Bing replied. His audio glitched slightly as his cooling fans kicked on, and Elliot gave Chase a mildly concerned look. 

"We made him laugh too hard. Dude overheated a bit is all," Chase said. Elliot made a little noise of surprise before he nodded. Ah, right. Elliot was still pretty new to all the quirks of the egos, wasn't he? It had taken Chase quite a while to adjust to the Septics; they were much easier to get used to than the many Ipliers who roamed the manor. Elliot had reality-warping entities, gameshow cannibals, high-stakes adventurers, and god only knew what else to adjust to with the Iplier family. Bing would probably be able to explain most of the eccentricities within Iplier Manor. He was a lot more observant than most gave him credit for, Chase mused, and he grinned at the pair as Elliot helped Bing select the perfect TikTok. 

"... This one!" Elliot finally decided, pointing at his latest video. "I'm actually really proud of this one. It's the first one I've had the chance to film since I got here," he explained, pulling his knees up to his chest as a shy smile tugged at his lips. Chase felt his heart flutter slightly against his ribcage as he forced himself to look away from Elliot and at the video Bing had queued up. 

It was certainly different from the other one Bing had shown him. Chase watched as Elliot walked into the frame in a rather average outfit. Plain t-shirt, some jeans, and a pair of sneakers. No teashades. He sat down on his bed and grabbed a scuffed-up pair of Vans before he offered the camera a sly smirk. He tossed them up into the air before it cut to a new shot of him. The transition itself was perfectly timed to the beat drop of whatever song he'd set the TikTok to. In a flash, Elliot was in a completely different outfit. He now wore a black and white floral print button-up shirt. He'd gone with black, ripped skinny jeans and even attached a couple chains to them. The teashades were back, perched just so on the edge of his nose while Elliot stared into the camera with the most intense gaze Chase had seen on him. The video ended with Elliot leaning back on the bed, his shirt rising up slightly and showing off a sliver of tanned skin before he winked at the camera. Then the screen went dark. 

"Okay, at least this  _ blatant  _ thirst trap made more sense than the last video," Chase joked, clearing his throat slightly before he glanced over at Elliot. "The editing was really fuckin' good on this one, dude. Like, the timing and everything was perfect!" he added, grinning at the other man. Elliot flushed slightly at the praise but puffed out his chest as he smirked. 

"Yeah, what can I say? I'm pretty much an editing genius," Elliot bragged, copying himself from the video as he gave the other egos a little wink. Chase rolled his eyes. Well, he guessed that Elliot couldn't be  _ too  _ different from the other Ipliers. 

"I helped with the outfit!" Bing added, finally sliding his sunglasses back into place. "He couldn't decide between his tiger shirt and the floral print," he explained, swinging his legs back and forth idly. 

"Oh wow, Elliot was so down bad for advice that he asked  _ you  _ for help?" Chase teased, scrunching his nose up as he gave Bing an exaggerated once over. Bing scoffed before he gestured at the air vaguely. 

"Please! Dark would've told him to wear a two-piece suit, Wilford would've brought out the rainbow suspenders, Yan would've offered up their school uniform, and Yancy would've given him a pound of hair gel! I'm the best option he has!" Bing insisted. Chase just snorted before he flicked Bing's nose. 

"Aye, what a poor bastard to have you be his best option for fashion advice!" Chase said. Elliot covered his mouth with both his hands as he tried to stifle his giggling while the two friends bickered good-naturedly. 

"Like you can talk! You wear the same baseball cap every day! You don't even like baseball!" Bing said, flicking Chase's cap. The Irishman sniffed indignantly and readjusted his cap carefully. 

"Please, says Mr. I Wear Shades Inside the House!" Chase shot back, a smirk curling at his lips. Bing's face warmed slightly and he pushed the sunglasses up on his nose. 

"C'mon, that's not fair, bro! You know I wear them because I can't figure out how to customize my eye color!" Bing said. Chase quirked up an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. It totally isn't so you can hide when you're starin' at someone and admirin' them," Chase said, comically deadpan. Bing let out an embarrassed noise before he swiped Chase's cap again. 

"That's it! You've lost accessory privileges, dude!" Bing decided. He tossed the cap to Elliot, who fumbled with it for a moment as confusion stole across his face. "Keep away!" he exclaimed. Chase looked over at Elliot, his eyes narrowing slightly as he held out his hand. 

"C'mon, give me back the cap, Elliot," Chase said. Elliot hesitated a moment, a sly grin tugging at his lips before he leaped off the bed. 

"No way! You heard Bing, you lost accessory access!" Elliot teased, waving the cap high above his head. Thus, a very surprisingly spirited game of keep-away began between the three adults. They eventually ended up in a tangle of arms and legs on the floor. Wilford walked in just as Chase managed to snatch his cap back from Elliot. 

"... Well, you three seem to be having an awful lot of fun!" Wilford slurred, eyeing the little group of friends on the carpeted floor. "My sweet Darkling wanted me to remind Elliot that lunch will be held at noon. I couldn't find him in his room, so I figured I'd find him here. Glad to see you're making friends with these two rascals!" he said, giving Chase and Bing a mischievous grin. 

"Oh! Um, thank you, Mr. Warfstache," Elliot said. He cleared his throat before he sat up straight and brushed away imaginary dust from his shirt. Chase and Bing leaned against each other heavily as they let out the occasional giggle. Wilford rolled his eyes at the title.

"Please! My boy, the only one here who requires a title is Dr. Iplier! You'd do well to remember that. The man worked hard to get that PhD," Wilford said. He walked into the room and offered Elliot his hand. Elliot accepted it and let out a surprised grunt when Wilford hauled him up like he weighed nothing at all. Chase grinned. Wilford's strength usually surprised everyone who first met him. "Just call me Wilford. Everyone else does!" he added, clapping the younger man heavily on the shoulder before he turned to the other two. He looked strangely motherly when he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. 

"Hi, Wilford!" Chase said, giving the older ego a bit of a cheeky grin before he hopped off the floor. Bing let out a yelp as he fell backward, his support suddenly gone. Chase murmured an apology before he helped his best friend up as well. 

"Gods, what will we ever do with you two?" Wilford mused, shaking his head before he sighed dramatically. A grin twitched at his lips, though, and the pair watched as he twirled one end of his pink mustache. Chase and Bing exchanged a brief look before they offered the man their own grins. 

"What would you do without us?" Bing asked, nudging Wilford lightly. It earned him a sharp bark of laughter from the eccentric ego. 

"Indeed! This manor would be far duller without your antics, of that I'm certain," Wilford said. Elliot raised an eyebrow at the two, asking them a silent question. Chase and Bing just shrugged. It would take way too long to explain the detailed history of shenanigans they'd gotten into at Iplier Manor. "Well, message delivered! I suppose I'll be on my merry way. Anti had quite the idea earlier, it'll be a right riot!" he exclaimed. Chase's eyes widened in concern at the flippant comment.

"Uh, Wilford? Didn't... Didn't Dark just have a talk with Anti and you about something you'd done?" Chase asked. Dark's soft spot for Wilford and his antics was well-known amongst the egos, but he was sure that even Dark's strange affection for Wilford had a limit. That limit was likely to be found in Anti, who really seemed to bring out the worst of the mad gleam in Wilford's eyes. 

"Oh, don't you worry over my Darkling! He won't mind what japes Anti and I get up to as long as we're more...  _ Subtle _ ," Wilford explained, waving his hand dismissively. He spun around on his heels. "See the two of you at lunch! Bim's cooking, so bring your best appetites!" he called teasingly over his shoulder. With that, he poofed away in a small cloud of pink smoke. Elliot gave Chase and Bing another confused look when they pulled faces at that last comment.

"... I fear," Elliot joked, grinning slightly as he glanced between the two. 

"You... Should," Bing said, a shudder running through him before his heating pads whirred to life underneath his skin. "Oh, uh, don't eat any meat Bim cooks, dude. It's... Not animal," he added. Chase nodded once in agreement, his face twisted into a grimace. 

"Y'know, I don't think I want to know," Elliot decided. "I've been wanting to cut back on meat. I guess now is as good a time as any," he said. Chase and Bing nodded. 

"Don't worry, most people don't eat much on the nights Bim cooks dinner. There's always Poptarts or cereal!" Chase suggested. 

"Eric will probably make some sort of salad. He usually does that," Bing offered, giving a little shrug of his shoulders. "I think so, at least, I don't really pay much attention to the menu," he admitted.

"He pays plenty of attention to the fuckin' cereal is what he does!" Chase teased. The pair's easygoing bickering lightened the mood from discussions of cannibalism. It also made the time pass faster, and Chase perked up as he heard the other egos walk down the hall.

"It's 11:57 p.m., we should hurry before someone takes our seats," Bing said, grabbing Elliot by the hand. "I'd invite you to stay for lunch, but you wouldn't be into it. You really aren't the kinda dude who can live off of a garden salad," he said. He offered Chase a wave goodbye before he led Elliot away. Elliot twisted around in Bing's hold, those honeyed eyes finding oceanic eyes once more.

"Hey, it was really good meeting you, Chase!" Elliot called. He smiled before he waved as well, then turned back around so Bing could haul him away properly. 

"It was good meeting you as well, dude!" Chase replied. He grinned to himself as he watched the pair leave, and he headed downstairs on his own. He managed to slip past the others and grab his skateboard. He then escaped Iplier Manor before Bim saw him. The man had a strange fascination with testing out his latest recipes on the unwitting, and Chase really didn't want to try another one of his human burger recipes. 

Chase shuddered as he took off down the walkway. The sound of the wheels of his skateboard on cement was all he heard as he meandered his way back to Septic Manor. The talk of Bim's lunch hadn't put him off of eating like it usually did. He supposed that was just a side effect of hanging around the Ipliers as much as he did. His stomach growled as he wove around the people on the crowded sidewalks. He ended up stopping at a small, local pizza parlor for a bite to eat. The Septics weren't as crazy about communal meals as the Ipliers were, so it wasn't like he was missing out on some lovingly made food by eating out. Besides, he'd passed this place up dozens of times now and promised he'd check it out "next time"! Why couldn't now be next time?

Chase soon found himself seated outside, a cold glass of ice water sweating away on the little table the hostess had sat him at. He watched as people walked up and down the busy boulevard. He relaxed against the comfy chair as he smiled lazily. The day was clear, it was a little warm outside, and he had some homemade food heading his way. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind, but it was easily forgotten as the waitress brought him his food. Chase thanked her before he dug into the pizza he had ordered. It was delicious, a crispy, cheesy, pepperoni laden mess that took care of the complaints from his gut. His head felt pleasantly hazy as he ate. The sunshine was warm on his back, the food was good, and Chase felt a certain lightness take hold in his chest. 

Today  _ really  _ was good, wasn't it? 


	5. The One Where Chase Watches a Livestream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day goes well. Maybe a little too well. Chase tunes in for a live stream after he caves and makes himself a TikTok account. Things go wrong very quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey all! I started back with college two weeks ago, so updates will probably slow down as I get back into the swing of things with college. I'll still try and update one of my fics each week, though, so there's at least that for y'all to look forward to! I have a lot of different ideas I want to write about all at once. I might actually cave later on and write something for Unus and Annus, cause even though the channel has been gone for nearly two months I still have a lot of emotions/memories associated with it. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!!

Chase enjoyed the rest of his lunch in peace. His ride home was comfortably silent. The pizza settled easily in his stomach and left his eyelids a bit heavy by the time he got to Septic Manor. He briefly considered taking a little cat nap on the couch but passed it up when he saw Jackieboy Man had already crashed there. He rolled his eyes before he grabbed a blanket off the back of Jameson's recliner, and carefully draped it over the exhausted vigilante. Chase would just crawl into bed, but it was too comfortable for him to only nap in. He'd probably end up sleeping until midnight or some other strange hour, then be up the rest of the night. It would just throw his entire sleeping schedule off track. 

With an afternoon nap out of the question, Chase sighed before he headed to the kitchen. He'd already gotten lunch, but he should probably try and balance out the pizza with something a little more healthy. He settled on a banana. He leaned up against the counter while he had his snack. His thoughts came to him in a slow, almost syrupy daze. Maybe he'd see what Henrik was up to? He really owed him a proper thank you for entertaining Bing earlier in the day! Chase grinned before he finished off the banana, then tossed the peel into the trash can. His smile only widened when it made it in perfectly. 

"Yes!" Chase exclaimed, fist-pumping the air before he left. Henrik was usually on the second floor of the manor, cooped away in his room or in his office at this time of day. He hummed to himself as he took the stairs two at a time. Even with his thought process being slowed down, the food and social interaction left a sort of chaotic energy buzzing just underneath his skin. If Bing were here, he'd have suggested they practice some new skateboard moves. Maybe pull a mostly harmless prank or two on the egos. He wasn't here, though, so Chase would just have to be somebody else's problem. 

Chase frowned at that last thought and shook his head a little to clear it from his mind. No. He wasn't being a problem by wanting to be near others. Dr. Picani had been over that with him. Humans were highly social creatures, and even the most introverted of folks liked being near others from time to time. It wasn't fair to himself to call the part of him that craved attention and social interaction a problem. He deserved a little more credit than that. His grin came back when he found himself outside Henrik's office, and he knocked at the heavy, mahogany door gently. 

"Come in!" Henrik called. Chase swung the door open. Henrik's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of him, and he leaned forward in his chair to glance behind him. "... You didn't bring Bing with you, did you?" he asked, voice filled with suspicion. 

"Nah! Bim was cookin' lunch back at the Iplier's, so Bing needed to stay there to make sure he didn't poison the new guy or anythin' like that," Chase replied. He walked into the room, his eyes scanning the maybe doctor's face a moment. "I wanted to say thanks, actually," he said. Henrik blinked a couple times in surprise, then offered Chase a little smile of his own. 

"Yes? For vhat, exactly?" Henrik pressed. 

"For entertainin' Bing this mornin'! I know he talks your damn ears off, but it means the world to him when people besides me give him a listen," Chase said. He nudged him gently in the side. "I appreciate it. I know you aren't his biggest fan or anythin', but... Thanks," he said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly before he shoved his hands into his pockets. Henrik waved away the thanks, though the widening smile and light flush on his cheeks spoke louder than his actions. 

"Ah! He vasn't bothering me, exactly. He is just... Very exciting," Henrik said, waving his hand vaguely in the air. Chase quirked up an eyebrow. 

"And Anti is somehow less exciting?" he asked. Henrik huffed before he busied himself with rifling through one of his filing cabinets. 

"Anti is... Different," Henrik finally said. Chase's grin only grew when he noticed that Henrik's face had darkened once more. The other man's strange relationship with the residential glitch bitch had always been a bit of a joke between the others in Septic Manor. A good-natured one, of course, but a joke nonetheless! Especially given their shared tendencies to react so strongly to them. It was just... Sort of funny, in a harmless way, to rile them up a little. It never seemed to bother either of them, not in any really significant way. Chase was sure that the others would lay off the teasing if Anti or Henrik ever asked them to. 

"Different, aye? Because you two can trade tips on how to clean out bloodstains from each other's clothes?" Chase teased, quirking up an eyebrow slightly. Henrik only sniffed indignantly in response before he pulled out a thick manila file. "Or is it because you two make heart eyes at each other while you watch those gory medical dramas?" he asked. Henrik didn't dignify that comment with a response. He just pointed at his open office door while he gave the younger man his best glare. Considering that his face was as red as a tomato, it wasn't a very intimidating look. Chase still held up his hands in mock surrender before he walked away. "Alright, no more jokes about you and Anti! Suppose I'll leave you to your work," he called. He offered the older man a quick wave before he left. 

Chase had gotten enough out of riling up the residential expert with a scalpel. He needed to find something else to occupy his time with. He whiled away the remainder of his afternoon on his lonesome. Worked on a few new tricks in the living room. Did a load of laundry he'd put off for a few days too long. Filmed a video in his bedroom. Used the weights that Jackieboy Man had given him this last Christmas. Read another chapter from one of the books Dr. Picani had recommended. Actually cooked himself a decent evening meal. Showered and readied himself for bed at a decent hour. Took his Citalopram like he was supposed to. Chase actually found himself feeling a tired sort of contentment wash over him as he checked the alarm clock on his nightstand. It was only a little after 8 p.m., but he'd done enough during the day to actually feel tired. 

It was still a touch too early for Chase to go to bed, though, no matter how much he had or hadn't done that day. He grabbed his phone from off the nightstand and unlocked it. He saw a couple messages from Stacy and felt his earlier contentment waver a moment. He opened them up. 

_ Stacy: Hey! Sam said you were going to paint her nails this weekend? Are you sure you'll be able to do that? I can always redo them for her! I know nails and makeup and "frilly" stuff like that isn't really up your alley.  _

_ Stacy: And Cara said something about making a mess? They were good for you this weekend, right?  _

Chase let out a noise caught somewhere between relief and mirth as his fingers hovered over the keys. He tapped out a response pretty quickly and hit send. 

_ Chase: Aye! Sam and Cara were both good. The whole mess thing was about Valentine's Day! We're gonna make breakfast together. I'll figure out Sam's nails for her! I know you can do them, but... I want to learn how to do that for her. I'd hate to be one of those dads who ignore the stuff his kids like just because it's "frilly".  _

Stacy's response came almost immediately, much to Chase's surprise. She liked to keep her "plugged in" time to a minimum. All he could think was that she had the girls down with a storybook already. Sam insisted on reading to them all these days, and Stacy had been more than happy to let the older of their girls take the lead in reading their nightly bedtime story. 

_ Stacy: Aw! That's really sweet, Chase. I know it'll mean the world to Sam if you two get to do that together. Just... Please try to not make a huge mess with her nail polish? It doesn't have to be perfect!!! But I know she won't want to take it off afterward, and I'd prefer that it looks a little neater than when she paints her nails on her own.  _

_ Stacy: oh and she wants to paint your nails too, so... Have fun being her practice dummy :) the girls send their love <3 _

Chase rolled his eyes before he giggled under his breath. Sam certainly had more of a bold, artistic flair than Cara did. He could already envision the hot pink and purple monstrosities he'd have for nails after the upcoming weekend. Funny enough, he didn't mind it at all. Chase would just have to rock those brightly colored disasters until they chipped off. He had the sneaking suspicion that, if the roles had been reversed and Sam was going to paint Stacy's nails, then she 100% would have shown them off to all her friends at the office. It was just one of those things parents did, he mused, and he typed out a final message for Stacy.

_ Chase: I'll try my best with the nails! I'm sure the guys will love whatever paint job Sam can give me. Send the girls my love as well, smooches for them <3 _

With that, Chase exited out of his texts. He stared blankly at the home screen of his phone a moment, his vision going slightly hazy as he drifted in and out of focus. He was in that strange state of consciousness: One where he was too tired to do anything else that required energy, but one where he wasn't quite tired enough to sleep just yet. He unlocked his phone again and swiped over to his folder of social media apps. Maybe he could kill some time by idly browsing through Reddit or Twitter? Or... 

_ Or he could get TikTok! _

Chase yawned before he downloaded the TikTok app. There were still a bunch of Elliot's videos he really wanted to see if only to learn more about the new member of the Iplier family. Plus, Bing had gone on and on about all the talented people on the app! He'd said there were a bunch of content creators on the app who did skateboard tricks, and Chase would always like to learn new tricks. So he settled deeper under the covers and opened the app once it had downloaded. He made himself an account and hesitated a moment before he came up with his username. He looked up Elliot's page and watched his top TikTok. Surprisingly, it was that damned video with the orange tree. Chase felt his face warm slightly when Elliot made that stupid fucking face at the camera again. God, what the fuck was that face? 

Chase scrolled through some of Elliot's other videos. The one that Bing had shown him at Iplier Manor played again, and he couldn't help but grin when the beat dropped. It was still so cool to see how clean he made the transition, and how smoothly he changed outfits! He could only imagine how many times he'd tried to nail that shot, and how much editing had gone into making that video look as effortless as it did. He moved from one video to the next. It seemed like Elliot really put a lot of work into his TikToks! He even had an older one that was a sort of "behind-the-scenes" type video, where he showed the little setup he had inside his old place and outside in the backyard. It certainly gave him that sort of "homemade setup" vibe that so many content creators had in their earlier days. He liked it, though, it reminded him of how his "work station" had looked back in the day. He wasn't sure how many followers Elliot had, but he'd give him one! He was pretty sure that it would be fun to watch his content continue to grow and evolve as he kept posting.

Chase glanced at the little plus button that would let him follow Elliot. He was surprised to see that the word "LIVE" was emblazoned just above Elliot's icon. He grinned as he tapped into the live stream. Elliot hadn't mentioned doing one while he was visiting with him, so he must've decided to do one last minute or something! He watched with tired eyes as the young man talked to his phone. It seemed like he'd tuned in after it had been going on for a while already. Elliot had forgone the teashades for once. Chase appreciated being able to see his eyes more than he thought he would. Elliot's eyes were just striking, all rich and warm like honey. The sort of thing that a more creative man would be able to wax poetically about for hours and hours on end, he was certain, but he'd never been too poetic. 

"-actually made another friend today, I think," Elliot said. He had this sort of awed look that danced in his eyes for a moment. Like he was still in total disbelief that he'd been able to make friends with someone today. It made Chase's chest all warm and light as he listened to Elliot. "Yeah, he was really nice. We um, we just sorta got to hang out and chill," he explained. His eyes scanned the comments that were rolling in quickly. "Oh! FlowerBoy just asked 'Do you like the new house?'. Yeah! It's really cool, everyone here has been, like, crazy kind to me so far," he said. Chase hesitated, then typed out a comment of his own. Elliot's eyes narrowed slightly before he grinned. "SuntoryWhisky says 'nice nails, dude, where can i get mine done like that?'. Thanks! Um, I actually-" he began, cutting himself off suddenly as something loud happened in the background. Chase frowned as Elliot's eyes widened. Fear splashed openly across his face before he got up from his bed. 

"H-Hey, I gotta go. Um, I'll do another live later on, to make up for stopping this one early," Elliot said, offering the camera a strained grin as something crashed. He winced before he ended the live stream. Chase stared at his phone as the screen darkened, confusion and worry flitting across his face. His phone shut off after a few seconds of inactivity. He was now left alone in his room, with only his reflection to keep him company. 

_ What had just happened?  _


End file.
